The surface of the earth nearer the pole moves slower than it does in
our latitude; whence the regions of air brought from thence, move
slower, when they arrive hither, than the earth's surface with which
they now become in contact; that is they acquire an apparent easterly
direction, as the earth moves from west to east faster than this new
part of its atmosphere. The S.W. winds on the contrary consist of
regions of air brought from the south, where the surface of the earth
moves faster than in our latitude; and have therefore a westerly
direction when they arrive hither by their moving faster than the
surface of the earth, with which they are in contact; and in general the
nearer to the west and the greater the velocity of these winds the
warmer they should be in respect to the season of the year, since they
have been brought more expeditiously from the south, than those winds
which have less westerly direction, and have thence been less cooled in
their passage.

Sometimes I have observed the thaw to commence immediately on the change
of the wind, even within an hour, if I am not mistaken, or sooner. At
other times the S.W. wind has continued a day, or even two, before the
thaw has commenced; during which time some of the frosty air, which had
gone southwards, is driven back over us; and in consequence has taken a
westerly direction, as well as a southern one. At other times I have
observed a frost with a N.E. wind every morning, and a thaw with a S.W.
wind every noon for several days together. See additional note, XXXIII.]

[_The Fiend of Frost_. l. 439. The principal injury done to vegetation
by frost is from the expansion of the water contained in the vessels of
plants. Water converted into ice occupies a greater space than it did
before, as appears by the bursting of bottles filled with water at the
time of their freezing. Hence frost destroys those plants of our island